Tobacco-stemmer.



No. 717,434. Patented nec. so, |902.

J. n. MORRIS.

TOBACCO STEMMER.

lApplicaton filed Mar. 25, 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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N0. 7|7,434. Patented Dec. 30, |902.

J. O. MORRIS.

TOBACCO STEMMER.

Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheetsf-Shelet 2.

No. 717,434. Patented Dec. 30, 1902.

J, MORRIS.

` TOBACCO STEMMER.

` (Application led Mar. 25, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

@Maaa/mw; o f @www 'lINrrn STATES ATENT Fries..

JOHN ODEN MORRIS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FIFTI'IS TOMORRIS MOORE, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-STEM lVi ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,434, dated December30, 1902.

Application filed March 25, 1902. Serial No. 99.950. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ODEN MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemm'ers,'of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to tobacco-stemmers; and the object of the same isto construct a simple and efiicient machine for stripping the leafportion from the stem.

The novel construction employed by me in carrying out my invention isfully described in this specification and claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig.3 is a detail section of the guides. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of thegrippers. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section of one ofthestrippingrollers. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the same. Flg. 7is a detail elevation of one of the knives.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the different viewsof the drawings.

My invention comprises three groups of mechanism-a feeder A, strippingmeans B, and a conveyer C--which groups will be taken up and describedin the order named, after which a sketch of the operation willzbe given.

The numeral 1 designates a shaft which carries two sprockets 2, whichcarry two endless chains 3, which extend back and pass over sprockets 4,carried by a shaft 5, bearing a pulley connected to be driven from somesource of power. Mounted on the chains 3 are feeding-grips 6, arrangedopposite to each other in pairs to cooperate, which pairs are locatedabout eighteenA inches apart on the chains. Each of the grips 6comprises a body bearing a beveled lug 7 for engaging and rais-- ing thestripping-rollers, as will appear, and serrated faces 8 for gripping atobacco-stem. The grippers are secured by means of rivets 9,passingthrough apertured flanges 10,formed thereon'. The body 7 is groovedat'll adjacent to the Hanges-to adapt them to fit guides 12. The guides12 extend parallel to each other, but are closer together than theinterval between the sprockets 2, so that the chains 3 after clearingthe sprockets 2 will converge up to the mouths of the guides 12, wherethey engage a pair of rollers 13, designed to deliect the chains 3 andbring the grips 6 together to engage a stem. The guides 12 extend up tothe sprockets 5, which are the same distance apart as the guides. Thechains 3 diverge from the under side of the sprockets 5 up to thesprockets 2. Atable 14 is located just below the chains 3.

The stripping means B comprises two stripping-rollers 15 and 1(5,locatedbelow and above the feeding-chains,which just clear the ends of saidrollers, while the grips 6 pass between them. The lower roller 15 iscarried by a shaft ,17, which is journaled in boxes 18, carried by theframe of the machine. The shaft 17 bears a pulley 19, over which passesa belt 20,driven from somesource of power. The upper roller 16 iscarried by a shaft 21, journaled in boxes 22, slidingly mounted inguides 23.' Springs 24 bear on the boxes 22 and hold the roller 16normally in contact with the roller 15. Each of the strippingrollersconsists of a cylindrical body portion 25, having a circumferentialgroove 26 therein, and a series of longitudinally-extending knives27,seated in grooves 28 in the body 25. Each of the knives 27 has asemicircular notch 29 therein, which is located within the groove 26.The semicircular portion 29 has a beveled edge lformed thereon to adaptit to engage andstrip the leaves of tobacco clear of the stems. Theknives 27 are secured in placeby caps 30, which snugly yfit the reducedends 31 of the body 25. In replacing one set of knives by another thecaps 30 are first removed, after which the knives 27 may be lifted out.The shaft 21 carries a pulley or sprocket 32, which is driven by a beltor chain 33,passing over it and over a pulley or sprocket 34, whichchain is given slack enough to permit the roller 16 to be intermittentlyraised about one-half inch by the lugs 7 on the grippers 6 to permitthegrippers to pass between the said rollers, after which the roller 16 isrestored to its initial position by the springs 24. 1

To carry the strippings awayaconveyer is employed,which consists of aperforated canvas belt 35, mounted on two rollers 36, and a fan 37,located beneath the belt within a cas- IOO ing 38. The rollers 36 aredriven by a belt (not shown) from some source of power, as will bereadily understood. The upper portion 39 of the casing 38 ishopper-shaped and is connected to the edges of an aperture 40 in thetable 14just in front of the stripping-rolls 15 and 16. The hopper 39 isapertnred at 4l to permit the belt 35 to pass through. A fan 37 isdriven by a belt 42 to cause an ind raft down through theaperture 40,which draft carries the tobacco down to the belt 35. As beforementioned, the belt 35 is perforated, so that it does not stop thepassage of the air through the casing.

The operation of my device can now be sketched. Leaves of tobacco areplaced by an attendant on the ta'ble 14 justin front of the ends of theguides l2. These leaves are laid down one at a time and the steinengaged between two of the grippers 6 just before they come opposite therollers 13, which will force them together to grip the stern. The leafso held will be carried along up to the strippingrolls, when the lugs 7on the grippers 6 will engage the roll 16 and raise it sufficiently topermit the grippers 6 to pass between the rolls. It should be noted thatthe projecting lugs 7 keep the knives from engaging the grippers 6, asthey might otherwise do if the jaws G were straight along their frontsides. As soon as the jaws 6 pass between the stripping-rolls thesprings 24 will force the upper roll 16 down and permit the notchedknives 27 to embrace the stem of the leaf held by the grippers 6 andstrip the leaf from the stem. The strippings will fall into the aperture40, be carried down by the indraft through the hopper 39, and will fallon the belt 35, which will carry them away. The stem will remain in thegrip of the grippers 6 until they pass over the sprockets 5 and thechains 3 start to diverge, when it will be dropped.

I do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these maybe modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tobacco-stemmer, the combination with a pair of strippingrollersarranged to be forced apart and to engage a stem, of a pair of flexiblemembers, means for drivingsaid members,grippers mounted on said members,parallel guides located to engage said members, and rollers mounted atthe entrance to said guides and located to deiiect said members tocompel said grippers to positively engage a tobacco-stem, substantiallyas described.

2. In a tobacco-stemmer, the combination of a pair of sprocket-chains,sprockets supporting said chains, means for driving said sprockets,grippers secured to said sprocketchains and having grooves therein,parallel guides located to engage the grooves in said grippers, a pairof stripping-rollers located to be engaged by said grippers and to beforced apart to insert a tobacco-stem between said rollers and arrangedto be released to grip said stem,`substantially as described.

3. In a tobacco-stemmer, the combination of a pair of dexible members,means for driving said flexible members, grippers mounted on saidmembers and having beveled lugs thereon, stripping-rollers located to beengaged by said beveled lugs to be forced apart, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a tobacco-stemmer the combination of two shafts each bearing apair of sprockets, two endless chains mounted on said sprockets,grippers mounted on said chains, strippingrolls located to be engaged bysaid grippers to be separated, guides engaging said chains, and rollersmounted at the forward ends of said guides to engage said chains tooperate said grippers, substantially as described.

5. In a tobacco-stemmer, the combination Vwith a horizontal table,twosprocket-chains,

located in the same horizontal plane above said table,means for drivingsaid chains, grippers mounted on said chains and located to contact withsaid table and to cooperate to grip a tobacco-stem, and means forengaging said chains to operate said grippers, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN ODEN MORRIS.

Witnesses:

AUGUST PETERSON, BENNETT S. JONES.

